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“So, what angle are you going for?” A tall blonde sashayed up to me, flanked on each side by another contestant. She reminded me of Regina George, and she’d clearly already formed an alliance. “I’m not sure I understand this”—she eyed me up and down—“ball gown look you have going on. That’s so twenty years ago.”
“TheI don’t really care about fashionangle.” I smiled sweetly.
“Clearly,” Regina’s second-in-command muttered under her breath.
“I’m Harper.” I stuck my hand out, ignoring her comment. I was here for one reason, and it hinged on me playing my part.
“Regina,” she replied, barely grasping my hand to shake it. “It’s probably not that important, though, since Flynn will send you home tonight.”
Handshakes tell a lot about a person, and between that and the way she’d approached me, I knew all I needed to know. Besides, her namewasRegina.
“You never know. He is a professional snowboarder, and I grew up on the slopes.”
Her eyes narrowed. “That may be the case, but he’s spent all his timeawayfrom here. Hasn’t he? You hometown girls don’t stand a chance.”
I’d never admit out loud she’d cut straight to my biggest insecurity. My heart squeezed in response, though I kept my stance cool and my face passive.
“If you say so,” I replied. “But I know his type. The mountains are his home.” It was irrelevant that he attracted all the snow bunnies and was rarely alone.
She took a couple of steps forward and leaned in, likely with the intention I’d be the only one to hear her next words. “You should just give up now. If he wanted you so much, he’d already have you.”
“Don’t you need to catch a bus?” A woman with gorgeously blonde streaked waves stepped in beside me.
Regina shook her head as if she didn’t understand and flicked her hair over her shoulder. “Flynn’s mine. We’re meant for each other. Good luck, though, really.”
With a crook of her finger, she and her friends headed back toward the main area of the room.
“I’m Danielle.” My newest friend flashed a smile, then took a sip of her own drink. “I can already tell Regina is going to make things fun around here.”
“I think you and I have different opinions of fun,” I replied.
The flood of conversations around me lowered to a low hum, and the entire tone of the room changed. Like a wave, it passed over us, bathing everyone in intrigue and curiosity.
“Ladies, welcome to our first cocktail hour!” A tall, dark-haired man stood at the front of the room, his smile mischievous, his eyes dark pools of intensity. “I’m Tom Murphy, and I grew up right here in Pine Cove Springs with Flynn. We used to ski together, and while he’s continued to chase mutual ambitions, I came back here and am a proud small business owner. If things progress, I’ll be seeing at least a couple of you later for an afternoon at my pub.”
“If things don’t work out with Flynn, I’ll happily take Tom,” Danielle whispered from beside me.
A smile played around my lips, and I pulled my drink up to seem more nonchalant. Women had always flocked to the two of them, so the pairing suited them well. TV spots showcasing Tom as the host and Flynn as the bachelor would definitely drive ratings.
“With that being said, we’re excited to kick the evening off. I’m proud to introduce you to our town legend, Flynn Jackson.”
A collective sigh sounded between most of the women.
Flynn had entered the room.
He positioned himself in front of the massive fireplace that was Colton’s pride and joy. He held a drink in one hand, the ice clicking against the sides as he opened his arms in a welcoming gesture.
“Good evening, ladies.” Flynn grinned—a smile I knew from his many press sessions and countless other occurrences where he needed to play the part. He wasn’t entirely comfortable here, but he still looked confident.
But, then again, neither was I.
Why was he here? Doing this?
“Looking forward to time with you later, Flynn!” one woman from the opposite side of the room cheered.
I raised my wineglass to my lips and took a large drink so my face might not give me away. The last thing I needed was to get booted the first night because of my inability to act like I enjoyed this.
“You too.” He raised his glass in a mock cheer in the general direction of the voice, then turned his attention back to the main group of us. “I’m so grateful that you’re all here tonight, and it’s honestly unreal to think that maybe, just maybe, my wife is standing in here right now.”
